High Sucrose Low Magnesium Diet Modulates the Expression of PI3K and ERK2 in Different Tissues of Weanling Rats

Activation of the insulin receptor initiates signaling through both the phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase and the mitogen-activated protein kinase [MAPK, also referred to as extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK1/2)] pathways. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of feeding high sucrose low magnesium diet to weanling rats on the insulin signal transduction pathways. To accomplish this, a nongenetic type 2 diabetic rat model was developed in the laboratory by feeding high sucrose+ Low Mg (HSLM) diet to weanling rats and the expression of the downstream effectors of insulin signaling pathway was studied. The Expression of ERK2 and PI3 Kinase was assessed in adipose tissue, skeletal muscle and liver of control and experimental diet fed rats. The results obtained clearly indicated a decrease in the expression of ERK2 and PI3 Kinase in all the three tissues from HSLM diet fed rats when compared to control rats, thereby confirming that Sucrose+ Low Mg feeding ultimately leads to insulin resistance via a decrease in the expression of the downstream effectors of the insulin signaling pathway.